GAZETTEER OF THE BANNU DISTRICT. ~ompittd and uublishtd undtl' tht nuthorit]J on tht PUNJAB GOVERNMENT. ' C.lLOUHA o I'BJW71D B'J' IBI CA~CVPI'A. Ca.'I'BAL FBB88 COIIP'.lRY, LJKI'f.:D, ., COVBCJL BOUBM I'I'MaBT. PREFACE. THE period fixed by ~he Punjab Government for the compila­ tion of the Gazetteer of the Province being limited .to twelve months, the Editor has not been able to prepare .any original matter for the present work; and his duties have bee~ confined to 'throwing the already existing- material into shape, supplementing it as far as possible by contributions obtained from district.· officers, passing the draft through the press, circulating it for revision1 altering it in accordance with the corrections and suggestions of revising officers, and printing and issuing the final edition. - The material available in print for the Gazetteer of this district consisted of the Settlement Reports; and a draft Gazetteer., compiled betwee!! 1870 and 1874 by Mr. F. Cunningham, Barrister-at-Law. Notes on certain points have be~n supp1ied by district ,officers; while the report on the Census of 1881 has been utilized. Of the presen~ volume, Section A of Chap. V (General Administration), and the whole of Chap. VI (Towns), have been ,for the mos~ part sup~ plied by the Deputy C.ommissioner ; Section A of Chap. III (Sta­ tistics of Population) has been taken from the Census Report;. while here and there passages have been extracted from Mr. Cun­ ningham's compilation already referred to. But with these excep- . tions, the great mass of the text has been taken almost, if not quite verbally from Mr. Thorburn's Settlement Report of the district. The draft · edition of this Gazetteer has been revised by Messrs.· Thorburn, Beckett, and Dames. The Deputy Commis­ sioner is responsible for the spelling ·of vernacular names, which has been fixed throughout by him in accordance with the prescribed system of transliteration. - ~he final edition, though completely compiled by the Editor, has bek:n passed through the press by Mr. Stack. THE EDITOR, C0 NT E N.T S. Page. CH.dP. 1.-THE DISTRICT ' 1 A.-DESCRIPTIVE 1 . B.-GEOLOGY, FAUNA AND FLORA 16 II.-HISTORY ... 26 ,." III.-THE, PEOPLE 44 A.-STATISTICAL 44 B.-SomAL AND RELIGious LIFE 51 C.-TRIBES AND CASTES l 63 D.-VILLAGE CoMMUNITIES AND TEKURES 74 E.-RIGHTS IN CANALS AND CANAL WATER 100 F.-LEADING FAMILIES • ' 121 ,._ IV.-PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION 130 A.-AGRICULTURE .;ND LIVE-STOCK 130 B.-OccuPATIONs, INDUSTRIEs AND CoMM!J:RCE 147 , C.-PRicEs, W:J!!IGHTS AND ME_AsUREs, AND ·CoMMUNICATIONS 151 ... Y.-ADMINISTRATION AND FIN ~NCE 158 . A.-GENERAL. 158 B.-MILITARY AND FRONTIER 163 C.-LAND AND LAND· REVENUE . 17.1 Pl.-TOWNS, MUNICIPALITIES AND CANTONMENTS 204 APJ?ENDIX-VESH" IN MARWAT 211 STATISTICAL TABLES (INDEX .ON PAGE II.) CHAPTER I.-THE DISTRICT. Section A.-Descriptive- General description 1 General description-Boundaries of the district stated-General aspect and configuration 2 General aspect and configuration-Scenery 3 Scenery-Physical features: Mountains-Waziri hills-Bitanni Range ... 4 1 Bitanni Range-Shekh Budin Range-Maidani Range-Bhangikhel : Salt Range-Shekh Budin 5 Shekh Budfn-Sakesar hill-The Indus and its bed 6 The Indus and its bed-The Kurram river 7 · The Kurram river-The Tochi or GambHa 8 Trans-Indus plains-TheNar-The trans-Indus Thal ... 9 ' 'l'he trans-Indus· Thal-The Isakhel plains-The Bh:mgikhel tract-Cis- T. ' ' '.. • •• , 10 [l'unja.b Gazetteer, vi Page. Section A.-Descriptive-(conttl.) Cis-Indus plains-General account of the hill torrents of the district- Hill torrent irrigation of each taluf.l 11 Hill torrent irrigation of each tahBiZ-Canals-Rainfall 12 Rainfall-Climate 13 Climate-The public health 14 The public health-Epidemics-Statistics of disease 15 Section B.-Geology, Fauna and Flora-_ Geology-Geology of the Bannu-hills 16 Geology of the Bannu hills-Geology of the W aziri hills 17 Geology of the Waziri hills-Geology of the valleys-Salt and Salt Mines-Mines and Quarries-Kalabagh Salt Mines 18 Salt and Salt Mines-Kalabagh Salt Mines 19 Alum-Coal or lignite 20 Coal or lignite-Saltpetre-Jamsa()-Petroleum 21 Petroleum-Gold-Flora 22 Flora-Quadrupeds 2!-l Birds-Fish 24 Fish-Reptiles 25 CHAPTER H.-HISTORY. Early history-Antiquities : Akra 26 Antiquities : Akra-'ril KU.fir-Kot or Raja-til-Kot-Remains at Rokri and Marl 27 Remains at Rokri and Mari-Historical insignificance of Bannu 28 The order of descent of Afghan tribes-ThecBannuchis 29 The Bannuchis 30 The Niazais-The Marwats 31 The Marwats-The W azirs 32 The Wazirs-The Bitannis and Bhangikhels-The Awans and Jats 33 Mughal rule in Bannu-Durani rule in Bannu 34 The Nawab of Dera Ismail Kha.n seizes 1\farwat-The Sikhs conquer lsakhel and Marwat, and levy tribute in Bannu proper 35 The Sikhs conquer Isakhel and Marwat, and levy tribute in Bannu proper­ Nature of the Sikh3' hold on Mianwali and Isakhel described­ Edwardes sent to Bannu proper to realize the "outstanding revenue'' for the Sikh DarbB.r 36' Edwardes sent to Bannu proper to realize the "outstanding revenue" for the Sikh Darbar-Bannu proper permanently annexed and occupied... 37 Temporary anarchy during the second Sikh war-The Mutiny 38 The Mutiny-The first constitution of the district 39 Subsequent changes of boundaries-District administration from annexation to end of 1860-Summary of events since 1860 40 Summary of events since 1860-List of Deputy Commissioners since 1861-List of officers in charge of the Mianwali sub-division since 1863-Development since annexation 41 Development since annexation-Review of the social and economic con:­ dition of the district at annexation 42 Review of the social and economic condition of the district at annexation­ ,., Progress since 1850 43 Jl&nn'll %l1str1ct.J _ 'Vii Page. CHAPTER 111.-THE PEOPLE. Section A.-Statistical-· . Distribution of population-Migration and birth-place of pop~ation 44 Migration and birth-place of population-Increase and decrease of popu- lation 45 Increase and decrease of population-Increase since 1868 discussed 46. Increase since 1868 discussed-The Settlement Census, 1872-74 47 ·The Settlement Census, 1872-74 . 48 Births and deaths-Age, sex and civil condition 49 Age, sex and civil condition-Infanticide......:.Infirmities-European and - Eurasian population 50 European and Eurasian population 51 Section B.-Social and Religious Life- Villages and houses of the people-Ckauka, ltujraa and places of public resort 51 Clothing-Food 52 Food-Average consumption of food · 53 . Utensils-Times of the day and nighfr:-Games and sports 54 . Games and sports-Family customs : Inheritance 55 Family (lustoms ! Inheritance-Betrothal and marriage 56 Betrothal and marriage-Burial .expenses-General statistics and dis- .' tribution of religions ... 57 General statistics and distribution of religions-Mosques and Imam~ 58 Mosques and ImamB-Festive and religious gatherings-Bannu Mission... 59 Festive and religious gatherings-Bannu .Mission 60 Bannu Mission-Language 61 Character and disposition of the people-Education-Poverty or wealth of the people 62 Poverty or wealth of the people 63 Section 0.-Tribes and Oastes- Statistics and local distribution of tribes and castes ' ... 63 Path&ns-Bannuchfs or Bannuwals 64 Bannuchis or Bannuwals-W aziris 66 W aziri clans-Hatikhel 67 Sirkikhel-Isperkai-Bizankhel-U marzai . 68 U marzai-Muhammadkhel-Bakkakhels-Janikhels 69 The Bitannis of Marwat-Marwats 70 :Marwats-Clans affiliated to the Marwats-Niazais 71 Khataks-Sayads-Musalman Jats · 72 Musalman Jats-Awans-Hindus 73. Section D.-Village Communities and Tenures- Village tenures-The amalgamation of estates and transfer of holdings from one to another · • 74 Proprietary: tenures-Land tenures in Bannu proper 75 W aziri tenures-Thai-Tala tract in Marwat 76 Thal-Tala tract in Marwat-Settlement determination of rights in the Thai-Tala tract 77 Settlement determination of rights in the Thai-Tala tract-Tenures in the rest of Marwat-The Vesk or Kkula-veslt. tenure i:n Marwat 78 The Pesh or Kkult~·vesk tenure in Marwat-Isakhel upland tenures 79- Bangikhel tenures-:Mohar tenures • 80 [::E'tu~ja.b Gazetteer. viii Page. Section D.-Village Communities and Tenures-(contd.) Niazai and Jat villages-The kacha up to annexation 81 The kacha up to annexation . 82-83 Kacha tenures from annexation to the first Summary Settlement 8-l Growth of kacha tenures from second Summary Settlement to 1872 85 Kacha tenures under the Regular Settlement ••• 86 Kacha tenures under the Regular Settlement-Mianwali upland tenures- Moha.r and Danda tenures-1'hal tenures ... 87 Thai tenures-Tenures in the Pakhar ilaka-Tenants and rent 88 Tenants and rent-Tenants in Bannu proper-Tenants in the Waziri country 89 Tenants in Bannu proper-Tenants in the Waziri country-Tenants in Marwat 90 Tenants in Marwat-Tenants in Isakhel · n Tenants in Mianwali-Occupancy tenants 92 Occupancy tenants-Riverain boundaries-Village officers 93 Village officers 94 Village menials-Village chau'kidarB 95 Village chaukidara-Kamiana deductions 95 IJharat-Buna-Petty village grantees-Agricultural labourers 97 Agricultural labourers-Poverty or wealth of the proprietors-General condition of the cultivating and landlord classes ... 98 General condition of the cultivating and landlord classes 99 Alienation of land by sale and mortgage 100 Section E.-Rights in Canals and Canal Water- Importance of the Bannu Canals 100 Alienation of land by sale and . mortgage-Importance of the Bannu Canals-Management of Bannuchi Canals by the people themselves .•• 101 Management of the Banmichi Canals by the people themselves-Acquisi- tion and development of rights in land and water 102 Acquisition and development of rights in land and.water-Aspect on the eve of annexation by the British 103 Hitherto we have preserved the &tatus quo ' 104 Hitherto we have preserved the status quo-Villages classi~ed under three groups-Record of rights in water 105 Record of rights in water-Distribution of canal water 106 An illustration of partition by drawing lots 107 An illustration of partition by drawing lots-Tinga or canal labour 108 Tinga or canal labour-Surplus or spill water 109 Surplus or spill water-Kachkot Canal.